Category Archives: Recipes

I know I’m a little too excited about this, But I’ve never really cared for the traditional pancake. They were just too cake -like for me. Too soft and fluffy?! Has anyone actually ever made that complaint!?! I always liked waffles better; but not too crunchy. I like that this recipe has a bit of chew to it and its good for you! ! I’m sure it’d be great as waffles too!

These pancakes are made with whole, wheat berries! It seems easy enough to find a heritage organic variety. And since I don’t have a way to grind my own flour; this is awesome!!!

I saw a video done by Stacy @humoroushomemaking. (She blogs about homemaking.) She made the full recipe, including some cooking tips. She sent us over to visit http://www.melskitchencafe.com to find the recipe. The link to the original is HERE. I have gone ahead and tweaked mine with yogurt because I never have buttermilk on hand or the cows milk to make my own. So here is what I’ve done….

This apple pie is smothered in sour cream! Say what?! Yes. You read that right. I was skeptical but curious. And quite frankly, a little afraid of the extra calories. After all, it is topped with sugar. BUT, I had to try it! Much to my delight, it was totally worth it. And not at all sour cream tasting. Oh and that crispy crunchy topping? mmm

Here is the full excerpt of this recipe from the old recipe book. (From Prairie Kitchens by Emmie Oddie)-as shown here in a previous post about my love of old books.

SCHNITZ PIE (Pennsylvania Dutch)

In 1800 Mennonite families from Pennsylvania settled in the forest on the banks of Grand River, Waterloo County, Ontario. At that time dried apples were used in Schnitz pie but today fresh apples add a zesty appeal to this traditional dessert.

1 9-inch (22.5 cm) pie shell, unbaked

5 cups apples, peeled, quartered

1 cup sour cream

2 tbsp. flour

3/4 cup sugar

3 tbsp. butter

1 tsp. cinnamon

Apparently I missed the part about arranging them “attractively” hahaha And peeling! But those are crab apples….so… not gonna do it 🙂 It’s more rustic this way. I like it!

Prepare pie shell.

Arrange apples attractively in pie shell.

Pour sour cream all over apples.

Mix flour, butter, cinnamon; sprinkle over pie.

Bake at 325 F (160 C) about 45 minutes until apples are cooked and custard is firm.

I didn’t make a lot of pizzas in the past. I thought the yeast dough seemed like a lot work. I used to be a little afraid of yeast, to be quite honest. I’m not anymore, but this simple recipe remains a favorite around here. It’s so yummy and quick that I don’t even bother with yeast crusts. I’ve made them here and there when I’ve actually planned ahead and had the time but everyone still prefers this crust! So there you have it… why fix something that ain’t broke and is even easier?!

Biscuit Pizza Crust -makes one hearty pizza

2 cups flour

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. salt

4 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. Italian seasoning

1/4 tsp. baking soda

4 tbsp. cold butter

3/4-1 cup buttermilk

Mix all dry ingredients together.

Cut in butter till crumbly.

Stir in buttermilk and knead till well combined.

Press out into pan. Yes, there will be holes. Just fill them in. note: I used a perforated pizza pan with parchment paper for this particular pizza and it baked up really nice. In the past I’ve used a cookie sheet but found it didn’t brown as nice as with the holes. But definitely great no matter what your pan.

This is a meal in and of itself. Very filling. We share this with 3 kids are stuffed by the time it’s gone. And I always forget to make that salad. You know, the one that makes this a healthier meal. haha

Place tomatoes cut side up, along with other veggies on a baking tray.

Broil at 500 degrees and check every 5 minutes.

Put peppers in a Ziploc to “steam”. Peel skins and remove seeds.

Mince all veggies (peel garlic)

Add the rest of the ingredients and put into mason jars.

Leave on counter for 2 days. Eat it up, share with friends, and refrigerate any remaining. Salsa will continue to ferment slowly. It takes on a fizziness which you may like, or you may be calling everyone to the kitchen to help you eat it up.

This original recipe makes about 70% whole wheat. I decided to make it less; about 45%. This makes for a happy medium for everyone in the house.

My husband often goes for groceries without me. This last time, he brought home traditional yeast. So I add it to the warm water till frothy. I am going to type out the recipe as written, even though I have never added the yeast to flour. So please adjust to suit your preferences.

I’m guessing a lot of you have fresh garden beetsthis time of year. I was given a sack of huge beets and needed to make something other than beet borscht. I found this simple cake from Anna Olsonat the food network. Find the full recipe here.

The cake calls for cooked shredded beets. So I shredded the beets on the small side of my box grater and then covered with water in a pot and boiled gently for awhile. I then strained the water in a measuring cup and added enough water to make the amount of water it called for. Then I measured out the beets I needed. I think thats why my cake has so much more color than hers. That is of course up to you. Maybe you already have cooked beets in the fridge. Then just shred them and use water like she says.

It bakes up fudgy and quite yummy. We added a thin layer of icing and topped it with cooked beets and coconut for color.